PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN ELEMENTARY ~ LAPLACE, LA
SPECIAL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 5, 2019
The Chair called the meeting to order and read the following call:
Upon call of the President, the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board will meet in special session at Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School, 3328 Highway 51, LaPlace, Louisiana, on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.
ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:42 p.m. He called for a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS: The Chair called for Public Comment.
PRESENT: Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
ABSENT: Johnson
There were 10 members present and 1 member absent. President Sanders noted that Mr. Johnson was on his way to the meeting.
ITEM 3. Public Comment. Mr. Courtney Joiner – Discussion of Interview Procedures
Mr. Joiner addressed the Board regarding the process for the interviews:
There are 5 categories from which questions will be asked. The categories are: Leadership; Curriculum; Public/Community Relations; Finance/Budget; and Student Performance. Five (5) randomly selected Board members will ask a question from the category given to them. Each candidate will be given 10 minutes for an opening statement, followed by the 5 questions, followed by a 10-minute closing statement. Each candidate will be asked the same initial question from the categories, but Board members will be able to ask follow-up questions pertaining to that category. The board members to ask questions tonight were then chosen at random:
Leadership: District #9 – S. Wallace
Curriculum: District #2 – A. Burl
Public/Community Relations: District #6 – K. Jones
Finance/Budget: District #8 – D. Schum
Student Performance: District #10 – N. Mitchell
ITEM 4. Public Comment. The board will enter into executive session to interview the below individuals who applied for the superintendent of schools position: Kelli Joseph; Quentina Timoll; Margaret Cage.
MOTION BY: Holden
SECOND BY: Burl
MOTION: To convene into executive session to interview the individuals who applied for the superintendent of schools position.
No objections.
The motion carried.
Roll Call:
10 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
1 Absent – Johnson
The Board convened in Executive Session at 4:00 p.m.
Mr. Johnson arrived at 4:05 p.m. and was recorded as present.
MOTION BY: Schum
SECOND BY: Holden
MOTION: To reconvene in regular session.
No objections.
The motion carried.
Roll Call:
9 Yeas - Holden, Burl, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Absent – Keller, Triche
The Board reconvened in Regular Session at 9:25 p.m.
ITEM 5. ADJOURNMENT
The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a
MOTION BY: Schum
SECOND BY: Holden
MOTION: Motion for recess.
There were no objections.
The meeting recessed at 9:27 p.m.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN ELEMENTARY ~ LAPLACE, LA
SPECIAL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 6, 2019
MOTION BY: Keller
SECOND BY: Mitchell
MOTION: Motion to reconvene in regular session.
There were no objections.
ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Chair reconvened the meeting in regular session at 3:42 p.m. He called for a moment of silent meditation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Chair stated that Mrs. Bernadine Sanders (employee in the Child Nutrition Department) is ill and asked for everyone to keep her in their prayers.
ITEM 2. ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS: The Chair called for Public Comment.
PRESENT: Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Schum, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
ABSENT: Burl, Johnson, Wallace
There were 8 members present and 3 members absent.
Mr. Wallace arrived at 3:45 p.m. and was recorded as present.
The Chair stated that he would come back to Item 3 once Mr. Burl was seated. (Item 3 was addressed following Item 4.)
Mr. Burl arrived at 3:47 p.m. and was recorded as present.
Mr. Johnson arrived at 3:59 p.m. and was recorded as present.
MOTION BY: Burl
SECOND BY: Jones
MOTION: To initiate a hiring freeze on the position of “Principal of Garyville/Mr. Airy Magnet School” until the new Superintendent is in place and direct the current administration to place someone in the position as an interim.
Interim Superintendent Trosclair did not recommend approval of this motion. She stated that this position had been advertised, all applicants had met the criteria as a permanent placement, and she wanted to follow through on the process that had already been started and was nearing the final phase.
Following extensive discussion, Dr. Keller made a substitute motion to reject all the applicants for the GMMS Principal position and re-advertise at a later date. Following further discussion, Dr. Keller withdrew his motion.
Upon roll call on the original motion to initiate a hiring freeze on the position of “Principal of Garyville/Mr. Airy Magnet School” until the new Superintendent is in place and direct the current administration to place someone in the position as an interim, there was:
9 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Wallace, Mitchell, Sanders
2 Nays – Schum, Triche
The motion carried.
ITEM 4. Public Comment. The board will enter into executive session to interview the below individuals who applied for the superintendent of schools position: Curt Green; Corwin Robinson; Patricia Triche
Mr. Joiner announced the Board members and the question categories that had been chosen at random:
Leadership: – P. Johnson/P. Sanders
Curriculum: – C. Triche deferred to K. Jones
Public/Community Relations: – S. DeFrancesch
Finance/Budget: – C. Holden
Student Performance: – G. Keller
(Item 3 was addressed at this time. See above)
MOTION BY: Holden
SECOND BY: Mitchell
MOTION: To convene into executive session to interview the individuals who applied for the superintendent of schools position.
No objections.
The motion carried.
Roll Call:
10 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
1 Absent – Johnson
The Board convened in Executive Session at 4:15 p.m.
MOTION BY: Triche
SECOND BY: Wallace
MOTION: To reconvene in regular session.
No objections.
The motion carried.
Roll Call:
11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
The Board reconvened in Regular Session at 9:13 p.m.
ITEM 5. Public Comment. Mr. Courtney Joiner - Determine and announce the number of candidates to interview for the finalists round of interviews of the Superintendent Search
MOTION BY: Holden
SECOND BY: Johnson
MOTION: To re-interview three (3) finalists.
No objections.
The motion carried.
Roll Call:
11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
ITEM 6. Public Comment. Mr. Courtney Joiner - Select the applicants to be interviewed for the final round of Superintendent Interviews
Mr. Joiner asked that each board member write their name and date and “Round 1” on the sheet of paper in front of them. He then asked that they each write their choices for the top 3 candidates they would like to have re-interview. The sheets were collected, counted and verified. Mr. Joiner announced that there would not have to be a “Round 2”, because 3 candidates had received a majority vote. The top 3 candidates chosen to re-interview are: Quentina Timoll (9 votes), Curt Green (7 votes), and Patricia Triche (7 votes). He announced the votes for the candidates that did not receive a majority: Kelli Joseph (5 votes), Corwin Robinson (1 vote), Margaret Cage (5 votes).
MOTION BY: Mitchell
SECOND BY: DeFrancesch
MOTION: To accept the top three candidates and recorded votes as announced: Quentina Timoll (9 votes), Curt Green (7 votes), and Patricia Triche (7 votes).
SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY: Burl
SECOND BY: Jones
MOTION: To re-interview: Patricia Triche, Kelli Joseph and Quentina Timoll.
Atty. Courtney Joiner advised that the substitute motion is replacing a candidate that received a majority vote with a candidate that did not receive a majority vote. Following discussion, there was a
MOTION BY: Triche
SECOND BY: Burl
MOTION: Call for question to end discussion.
No objections.
The motion carried.
Roll Call:
11 Yeas - Holden, Burl, Keller, DeFrancesch, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
The Chair called for a roll call on the substitute motion to re-interview: Patricia Triche, Kelli Joseph and Quentina Timoll.
Upon roll call, there were:
2 Yeas – Burl, Jones
9 Nays - Holden, Keller, DeFrancesch, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
The motion failed.
Upon roll call on the original motion to accept the top three candidates and recorded votes as announced: Quentina Timoll (9 votes), Curt Green (7 votes), and Patricia Triche (7 votes), there were:
10 Yeas – Holden, Keller, DeFrancech, Jones, Johnson, Schum, Wallace, Mitchell, Triche, Sanders
1 Nay – Burl
The motion carried.
ITEM 7. Public Comment. Board Items of Interest
The Board discussed holding a Meet and Greet for both the West Bank and East Bank on November 19, 2019 (5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) and hold final interviews for the 3 candidates on November 20, 2019 beginning at 4:00 p.m.
ITEM 8. Public Comment. Adjournment
The agenda having been completed, and there being no further business, there was a
MOTION BY: Mitchell
SECOND BY: Jones
MOTION: Motion for adjournment.
There were no objections.
The meeting adjourned at 9:31 p.m.
________________________________ ________________________________
Heidi Trosclair, Secretary Patrick H. Sanders, President